Episode 3 Money for Nothing

I've got to be able to do something with that, haven't I?

How do you make money for nothing?

I'll take one and I'll be back for the other.

The answer could be hiding in the 30 million tonnes of household waste

we throw out every year.

They're beautiful.

That's why entrepreneur Sarah Moore wants to get her hands

on things before they hit the skip.

I'm a passionate user, maker and buyer of old stuff and I've

turned my passion into a moneymaking business.

I make new stuff out of old stuff and I sell it for profit.

And with some of the country's elite designers and makers...

-You like to set a challenge for me, don't you?

-Nice!

..she can transform her finds into desirable...

Isn't that clever?

..valuable...

What an original piece of design!

..and hopefully, saleable items.

Oh, no way!

If Sarah is successful, then she can

hand the profits back to the very people who had no idea

there was cash to be made from their trash.

Oh, my God. That is amazing.

The first stop of Sarah's tour of the nation's tips

is the Witley Recycling Centre in Surrey.

Old toys, crockery, battered cabinets.

All have potential to turn a profit. So it's rummage time.

Sarah's on the hunt for four items with potential that can

be turned into profit.

They're flooding in here.

Anything could be in the back of these cars.

Before she can get stuck in, Sarah had to get special permission

from the folks who run the centre to find those hidden treasures.

I'll stop rifling through other people's rubbish.

She doesn't mean it, you know.

Ooh!

Perhaps Brent will allow Sarah to have a look around his boot.

He's got the hard task of clearing out his parents' house,

including this old chair.

So, Parker Knoll, very recognisable shape.

This was in my mother's bedroom.

-And has it been there for as long as you can remember?

-Yeah.

Is it comfortable?

-I can't say I've ever sat in it.

-Is it you or me? Are you going to test it?

British manufacturer Parker Knoll has been making quality chairs

for more than 140 years.

Out of the way, let's have a go!

This one probably dates from the 1950s

and by the look of it, it's still in good nick.

It's really quite sweet.

Do you think it's something that we could reupholster, maybe paint?

-Would you mind us...?

-Yeah, definitely.

-If it will benefit someone.

-Thank you ever so much.

-No problem.

Sarah looks like the cat that got the cream there.

But how does Brent feel about letting go of his

dear old mum's chair?

Hopefully she'll bring it back to life and get some good money for it.

This will become a desirable item.

It just looks really tired and old at the moment and the

challenge is deciding what to do to it and where to send it

so it really makes some money.

So, it's a good thing I know just the man to haul

a dated '50s chair into the 21st-century.

Introducing Anthony Devine.

Anthony's unique and quirky upholstery has earned him the

reputation as one of the most imaginative craftspeople around.

Anthony shares his 20 years of knowledge with

a younger generation at his school of upholstery.

Every day we work on something new and we get to experiment

and I love experimenting.

I mean, like, with the new technology and printing and computers and stuff.

I like the new breed of the students we're getting in here,

where they want to experiment.

They've seen what's on the high street, it's not right for them,

and, yeah, everyday in here's new and fresh.

And that's where my enjoyment lies.

Once I've have had a cup of tea and a biscuit.

Well, you'd better get the kettle on,

because this one might be a challenge.

When you see some chairs, you just know,

you know that this is the one and then it's

a matter of teaming it up with the right fabric and then

kind of ugly swans become beautiful things.

"Ugly swans"?

I don't think that's a saying.

I slightly lack confidence in this chair.

I want it to be amazing, but there's something about the legs and

the styling of it that just worries me a little bit.

I wouldn't write it off quite yet, Sarah!

Let's see what the expert thinks.

Do you like my chair?

Um...

-Oh, take it up there, take it up there.

-What's happened with it?

Hmm. Maybe you were right. So what's the plan, then, to turn this round?

We need to do something with the legs. The legs don't work.

Burn them? Maybe? Something...

Make a chopping board out of them.

So we did have some ideas about it,

because of this ugly juxtaposition of stuff going on here,

my thoughts were, really like this bit, actually,

keep it nice and sleek and then explode something on the seat.

I was thinking powder puff...

-LAUGHING:

-"Powder puff"?

-Embrace it! Come with me on this journey!

-What's powder puff?

-You know when your granny had talc?

-Yes?

And you had that kind of puffy thing, that they were like, puff, puff?

-Oh, right, yeah.

-That's what I mean. Powder puff. Like a rabbit's tail, on the seat.

-Oh.

Well, I'm glad we cleared that up.

Would you embrace a kind of Mongolian sheepskin look?

Would you go for something hairy, something like that?

Yeah. I...now understand powder puff.

Hairy? Did you just say you wanted a hairy chair?

Sounds itchy, but what do I know?

How much is it going to cost to make your Mongolian hairy chair?

I think I'm going to struggle to sell this for heaps of money.

So, it is a kind of Anthony's ingenuity test, this one,

to see how far a small budget can go to make this into a big profit.

Powder puff, no budget.

I mean, like, what do you expect me to do here?

I was hoping... Are you ready for this? 250 quid.

HE LAUGHS

That's a full house! Ah, powder puff, 250 quid.

I think, what we'll do is we'll set it at 265.

265. I leave it with you at that.

Just go for it. Work the magic.

Yeah?

Mint. Fab.

-Don't you just love it when I come and visit you?

-Oh, yeah(!)

Buy me some sheep.

Hairy sheep, Mongolian hair, oh, my goodness.

Who would have thought Anthony would take on the powder puff challenge?

Such a weight off my mind

because I worry about the profitability of that chair.

Sarah may have got a great deal but quality sheepskin can't be cheap.

Will Anthony really be able to transform it on budget?

It's just making sure we throw enough at it

to get the right selling price

and, obviously, something left in it to buy the biscuits.

Anthony has only £265 to spend on materials and labour.

He'll have his work cut out to turn a dated '50s armchair

into a modern sheepskin-covered stunner.

That's one item dropped off, and three still to find.

Sarah's now in Stockport near Manchester to continue her search.

After a long day, daylight starts to fade.

But, luckily, John arrives with a little red petrol can

that catches Sarah's eye.

-Ooh! That's not going in the tip, is it?

-It was going to go in.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-I thought that was your work stuff.

-No, no, it's been sitting around.

It used to be my father-in-law's but he's no longer with us.

Oh, it is charming.

JOHN LAUGHS

I love it. The fact that's all brass up there.

It's a really nice one.

-And it's still got a bit of the typography left on it.

-A little bit.

Yeah, it's so appealing because of its worn look.

-I see these all the time and this is a really interesting one.

-OK.

I've kind of given up on the normal new ones.

-The old ones are just so beautiful.

-They are.

-They're a bit more appealing really than the plastic ones.

-Yeah.

I would love to take it away and try to make something out of it.

It's only going to go in the scrap.

OK. I would definitely like to salvage it

because I think it's beautiful, and the patina on it,

and even the rust I like, so...

-I can have it, then?

-Yes, you can certainly have it.

Sarah's obviously pretty keen.

But what does John think she has planned for it?

I wouldn't have a clue. Honestly wouldn't have a clue.

I say, to me, it was just a bit of scrap metal.

So anything she can make is good, really.

I love this old, beautiful patinated petrol can.

Brass lid. Lovely handle. Original typography on it.

And I know exactly who I'm going to take this to,

and what we're going to make out of it.

Just who is the lucky artisan who'll be carrying the can this time?

If you have a corner of a room which needs illuminating

with something quirky, we have just the man for the job. Guy Trench.

Handyman Guy works tirelessly with his band of happy helpers

to make one-of-a-kind furnishings from, well, anything, really.

I used to be an a North Sea diver and I spent ten years doing that.

My grandmother was an antiques dealer.

So I thought I could try antiques.

My wife said, "Guy, you're good with your hands,

"why don't you cobble together something old?"

So I got some old bowling balls and turned those into table lamps.

I thought, bowling balls, why can't I do cricket balls?

I thought, why do a cricket ball?

Just try a cricket bat, and did a cricket bat

and then I was really on my way.

I love using reclaimed material, you can't beat it.

If preserving history is your thing,

then the old petrol can Sarah's salvaged

should be right up your street, Guy.

Well, this petrol can has got bags of what I suppose you could

optimistically call character.

But has it got something about it that people will like enough

to put in their house?

Guy and right-hand man Keith are going to be the judges on that one.

-Hi, there, lovely to see you again.

-Lovely to see you.

-Hi, Keith, how are you doing?

-All right.

-I've got a little something for you.

-Ooh, that's nice.

It is, isn't it? We've done a few of these before.

-Is that a good one then?

-It's a lovely one.

That's going to look fabulous, absolutely.

Table lamp.

Is it lighting?

-It has to be lighting, doesn't it?

-It's lighting, yeah.

There's an element about it that says

it's too far gone to go into someone's house.

The fact that you are happy... You can see that has got potential.

That is how we like it.

It's the old-fashioned. It is 1930s. It's an old can.

It's got plenty of wear. The colours are beautiful.

Some white writing coming through here.

The darker bit here, it's got marks on it.

It will look amazing. Really, really pleased with that.

Brilliant. I love your enthusiasm.

OK, you've convinced me of the lamp from an old rusty can idea.

But will the figures add up?

It sounds like a bit of work to do on it.

What kind of price would it be for that made into lighting?

I think the can, and that will come up really well,

will be about £125.

Yep, OK.

And if you'd like a shade with it, Sarah,

I think if we could do a second-hand one, would that suit you?

You're talking my kind of language. I mainly shop in the tip!

You might find one in the tip!

Erm, but that one there I could do for £10 for you.

So, 135, all in. I think that will

leave me some room to make some money on that.

I think it leaves you good room.

I think it's in safe hands so, good luck making it over.

And I hope it looks great.

-Thank you, Sarah.

-I think it's going to look fantastic.

-Thanks, Keith, see you soon.

-See you.

Bye-bye.

Well, Guy has certainly got me all revved up about that old petrol can.

It looks horrible at the moment but the game he's talking,

it's going to look fantastic when it's converted.

Sarah's full of confidence

but there's a long road before this diesel disaster

becomes a design delight,

although Mr "Brightside" Guy is raring to go.

It's a great, great, great can.

Looking forward to doing this job.

With a budget of £135, Guy and Keith have their work cut out

giving the old fuel can a bright new future.

Back in Manchester,

upholsterer Anthony has already stripped the Parker Knoll chair

with the help of his assistant Marianne.

As yet, I've not seen

any of the hairy Mongolian sheep fabric lying about.

Perhaps he's come to his senses.

So, we've finished stripping it now.

And we're basically getting the arms and back legs prepared.

So I've taken out the back to sand it all.

Now, I'm just going over with a finer sandpaper

just to give it a really smooth finish.

The beauty about this chair, a Parker Knoll,

it always has the kind of, they call it the ticker, the production label.

And they're always dated.

So this one is the 11th of the 11th, 1951.

Which, by my maths, is over 60...60...

60?

-..something years old!

-ANTHONY LAUGHS

Upholstery's my strong point, not maths.

Don't sell yourself short, Anthony.

After the sanding, Anthony begins to apply

a bit of coloured wax that both protects the bare wood surface

and highlights the natural wood's grain.

It's still good to be able to see some of the nicks

and the bumps and scratches and stuff

because we don't want to eradicate the history of it.

Once the waxing is done,

it's time to replace those two front legs Sarah doesn't like.

You only get one go at this, Anthony, so, be careful.

No turning back.

I can't watch!

He's going for it.

Right, stand it up.

Ta-da!

HE CHUCKLES

Done!

Not quite! Anthony is adding new slimmer legs which complements...

Uh-oh, careful!

We need a few screws.

I think that'll be best.

The new slim legs

will give the chair a more elegant and hopefully saleable look.

So, what do you think, Anthony?

Erm, it might be a bit wobbly!

After the other leg is attached,

Anthony turns his attention to the chair's new padding.

He's using classic and modern techniques to restuff the chair.

This material is made up of old recycled bits and pieces.

And we use it, it's called layered felt.

And this here is to create a lumbar support.

Then we'll build up a few more layers over the top.

After the layered felt and support,

Anthony adds a softer layer of cotton padding for comfort.

Fill that side up to there.

And we'll staple that in.

He then adds a layer of fire-retardant calico

to bring the chair up to modern safety standards.

And here comes the next apprentice!

It's Anthony's daughter Poppy, come to supervise her old man.

POPPY GURGLES

Is that good?

Are you happy with that?

POPPY CHATTERS

You tell him, Poppy.

-Do you think Sarah's going to like it?

-Yes!

Yay!

What did you say? On trend?

With Poppy's encouragement, they're making real progress.

Is that good?

-It's quite nice, isn't it?

-Yeah.

It's looking better but it doesn't much look like a sheep.

He still needs to add the Mongolian sheepskin cover

he promised Sarah, and it better be a stunning transformation

because Sarah really needs the buyers to flock to this one.

Over in Essex, it's all hands to the pump

as Guy and Keith get stuck in to their latest upcycling challenge,

turning a pretty old petrol can into a pretty new table lamp.

It's got some nice lettering which is coming out now.

Just gives that little bit of history. It's all original.

And let's try and keep as much of that on as possible

because I think that's important.

This is a lovely distressed-looking can.

Here we are, you can start suddenly seeing the colours start emerging.

The red's getting redder.

It's great just as things are transforming under your eyes,

it's lovely to see.

OK, let's try a bit of Jacobean on it, Keithy.

Jacobean, eh? Nice and dark.

Look at the colours. It's coming up beautifully.

Just put a bit more polish down this,

try and get into the grain of that, that's it.

You're doing a great job there, Keith.

Just wait, we're not ready, yet.

We're going to have this looking really ready in a minute.

Give it the once-over with a softish rotary brush.

Great teamwork, this.

The brass top which we've just given a bit of life to, wire wool.

Got the rest of the can to do now.

Ah, yes, the lamp fitting.

For that, Guy calls in the services of qualified sparky Steve.

I think what we'll do, we'll drill a hole straight through

and we'll put a post in. Then we'll have a shade on the top of it.

What about the base, is it stable enough?

I think if we filled that with sand,

we fill it up with sand, that will make it stable.

-Give it some weight.

-Yeah.

-Good idea, OK.

Young Steve is a dab hand with a drill.

He can tap a screw thread.

Cutting a thread in the tube so we can fix the fitting to the top.

But, most importantly...

Here she comes. There we go.

..he can certify that electrical work has been carried out

to the required safety standards.

All right. That's that bit done, how do you like that?

Er...

I don't really like this silver rod coming up here, Steve.

So, this is our antique ageing fluid that we are going to paint on this.

And you'll see that it will change colour quite quickly.

You know, we're trying to keep it as a piece of history.

We want to try and keep

all the similar looking bits and pieces on it the same colours.

We don't want a sharp bit of silver metalwork showing

on something which is old because you know it's been added on.

Let's try and keep everything in character, really important.

This little detail but really important, I think.

I'm looking forward to seeing this one shining bright.

It's now back to Manchester to see how Anthony's been getting on.

Oh! Is that Mongolian sheepskin?

He wasn't lying about the hairiness.

I've never done anything like this before.

I mean, if you look in my tool box,

there's one thing I've never carried in there before

and that's my clippers.

So, I've been shaving the chair, stood there like a hairdresser,

snipping away at it, looking, making sure, and fluffing it all up.

It has been a whole new experience.

I am really hoping that Anthony has managed to embrace his feminine side

and turn that retro, rather unattractive chair

into a fabulous powder puff piece.

The old chair was certainly a bit dated and drab.

But now, here we go!

O-M-actual-G! What on Earth is that!

Well, Sarah wanted a hairy chair

and that is the hairiest chair I've ever seen.

Anthony shouldn't have even bothered changing the legs,

you can barely see them.

ANTHONY LAUGHS

That is a triumph! Well done.

-One powder puff!

-Look at that.

Isn't it fantastic?

I actually really like it, I really like it.

That's perfect. With that wood like that,

that is beautiful, isn't it?

-What have you done on the back?

-So, the back...

-Oh, cool!

-All upholstered and fixed.

It's a beautiful finish, really lovely, isn't it?

I, erm... We're thinking already about having one at home!

Yeah, I'm sure it'll fit in nicely with your hairy living room!

But after all that, Sarah seems delighted.

I think it's a triumph, and that's going to sell.

Well done for making it look like that

because it could have looked really shabby.

-And now it just looks chic. It's amazing.

-Aw!

Aw, Anthony, you've gone all fluffy!

Steady!

Now, that is a totally spectacular transformation.

It's gone from tired and old, to luxury, fluffy and fantastic.

And it's really commercial.

I had absolutely no doubt Sarah would like this one.

I mean, you've just got to look at it.

It is "Sarah safe". There's nothing too crazy about it.

I knew she was going to like it. Lots of people are going to like it

so I reckon it's going to be an easy sell.

Well, Anthony, I hope you're right.

Sarah first met Brent at the tip

as he was busy clearing out some of his mum's things.

Parker Knoll is written on it, even I can tell that.

Once Sarah spotted it, she was eager to acquire the skip-bound seat.

Would you mind us getting stuck into it?

-Is it sentimental value?

-No, you carry on.

-Really?

-Yeah, absolutely.

-I suppose it's come to the tip,

-anything from here is on the way up, isn't it?

-Yeah, definitely.

If it would benefit someone.

Brent was happy to see the chair move on,

and Sarah was sitting pretty.

The challenge is deciding what to do to it and where to send it

so it really makes some money.

The challenge was met and exceeded

with the chair finding a new lease of life.

It was snapped up by online retailer Smithers Of Stanford.

Owner Nick was pleased to add it to the collection

although I think his wife Kim liked it even more.

-The yeti, they call it, apparently.

-The yeti.

-The yeti chair.

-Wild mane!

-SHE LAUGHS

Steady on, Kim!

Sarah's travelled to Witley in Surrey

to show Brent the yeti and hand over some cash.

-Hello, there.

-Hi.

-Hi, how are you doing?

-I'm good.

I have been waiting to catch up with you

-about your Parker Knoll chair that you left at the tip.

-Yep.

-Now, it came out of your parents' house, is that right?

-It did.

So, your chair went to Manchester

-to a fantastic upholsterer called Anthony Devine.

-Right.

And he had one look at it and, brace yourself, OK,

because I'd like to show you how it ended up.

Are you ready for this? Go ahead.

Here is your chair.

Oh, my God!

-Is that approval or shock?

-Well, you know,

I never expected to see it like that.

Well, do you know something?

There are people who love that. That Alpine chic and that sort of look,

it has a place.

And it really was a transformation

because it did go from looking quite retro to looking really quite edgy.

-Yep.

-And that's a good thing because,

when you produce something that has that little something extra,

you get people who like to pay for it.

-So, I've sold it.

-Wow.

Yeah, and I'm going to start off with £5 there, and,

um, I think I've got just

-another £130 to go with it.

-Blimey!

-And that's after it's all been done?

-That is.

Anthony was paid for all of his work

and that has been sold to a vintage and retro shop

who absolutely loved it.

Crikey.

-A bit of a surprise there?

-Yeah, definitely.

Anything that springs to mind that you might do with that money?

-I think probably a prostate cancer charity.

-OK.

My father died of that last year.

Oh, dear, I'm so sorry to hear that.

-Yeah, put it towards that.

-OK, well, that's a lovely thing to do.

-And I hope you don't mind what we did to your chair.

-Not at all.

That's definitely interesting.

Thank you, that's a really nice way of putting it.

-Thank you so much for your chair.

-No problem, thank you. Bye.

-Bye-bye.

Well, quite clearly, Brent was not expecting that transformation.

But it was a lovely chair.

He might not given it house room

but it has raised some great money for a really good cause.

Anthony's labour and materials to transform the armchair

totalled £265.

Sarah managed to sell the new woolly wonder for a fabulous £400,

meaning she could pass £135 back to Brent

to give to a charity in memory of his dad.

We've had success with our first item,

so it's time for Sarah to get back to the boots of cars.

She's continuing her search at the Woodhouse Lane recycling centre

in Greater Manchester.

-Nothing.

-Nothing.

But you never know.

Undeterred, she's snooping around Luke,

who's getting limber with some timber.

-Hiya.

-Hello.

-You've had a smashing time this morning, then.

-Yeah.

As you can see, lots of fun.

Talk me through this, then. Was it in your...? Was it...?

Is it the hall cupboard you're chucking out?

We've moved into a new house, there's some old cupboards there,

they need getting rid of.

I do like the look of the doors that you're chucking out,

cos they look like they're still nice and solid.

Yeah, they are!

Some nice chunky pieces of timber that I might be able to use

for something, so, if I could take them away,

and maybe show you if I manage to make anything out of them.

Sounds great.

That really is just a pile of old wood.

Sarah's got her work cut out

if she's going to pound out a profit from those planks.

What does Luke think she can knock together?

It's solid wood, so you could make anything out of them, really.

It depends how much skill she's got, or how much skill her team has got.

Don't worry, Luke - Sarah's eye for awesome offcuts is never wrong.

Or hardly ever.

I can never resist a really chunky bit of timber -

and these components from a 1940s house

have got all the right credentials

to be made into something amazing - and I've got just the person

in mind to take on the job.

That's the bits for item two in a thoroughly organised heap.

Which lucky craftsman will be lumbered with them?

Norman Wilkinson, a master of his craft.

With 25 years' experience in the furniture-making business,

what he doesn't know about wood isn't worth knowing.

I love the timber, I love the finishing of it, I love the product.

It's everything... It makes me tick.

Yeah, there is a passion for it, because there's no point

getting up in the morning and not doing something you don't like.

Coming in and then picking up the wood

and then turning it into something lovely,

you know, it makes me happy.

And also, using second hand materials, it's a great joy.

You know the old saying - another man's rubbish is another man's...

Er, can't think of the saying, now!

Another man's rubbish in this instance

is a couple of old doors and bits of random wood.

Bet you can't wait to get your hands on this little lot.

We have definitely got the bare bones

of something really good, here.

Lovely pair of cupboard doors, some nice bits of hardware -

Norman is going to have to take this on

and turn it into something beautiful and useful.

Oh, Sarah, you don't ask for much, do you(?)

-Come out here, see what I've got for you.

-Nice to see you.

And you, and you.

It looks... I know!

You have spoilt me today, I can really see this one.

Bring it in, and let's have a chat about it.

So, what's it going to be this time, Sarah?

A revolving bookcase?

His and hers welly boot taker-offerer?

I thought just a really lovely simple wall cupboard.

Wall cupboard. OK.

Well, I wasn't expecting that.

-Why don't we take the paint off...

-Yeah.

..and see where we go to? And see what nice pale colour we find -

there might be some nice pale paint -

and let's really go through it, because, you know,

you can see under there, there could be something.

Um...how are we going to make it as a wall cupboard?

Are we making it for a kitchen,

-or are we going to make it for a bathroom, or...

-I...

-universal?

Kitchen. Kitchen.

Well, looking at the doors...

I don't know how...

I think maybe we could take the panels out,

put some chicken wire in it, for kitchen,

-so it gives it a nice, different feel.

-Yeah.

Chicken wire, eh? That WOULD be a different feel.

Not so much "boho chic" as "barnyard chick".

Chicken wire's still quite trendy, so I think it'll be great.

It's geometric.

-People love geometrics.

-You love geometric, don't you?

Well, do you know something?

There is an appealingness to the fact that it's so regular,

and I think mixing it up with old, new...

I think it's in safe hands.

Well, we need to sort of try and incorporate all this, as well,

so, looking at the hooks, maybe we could, um...

Put them under there, so they can put their cups on them,

or stuff like that.

I love it, because what you're saying,

it's not too big, it's not too small.

If you can make it easy for me to sell

by putting something that DIY-ers can attach it to the wall with...

-We'll do that as well.

-Brackets...

-We'll make it so it's ready to rock and roll.

-Perfect.

-OK.

How much money are you going to be wishing for to transform it

into that useful cupboard for me?

If we get this into showroom condition, so you could sell it...

Um...

£200.

-I think you're being nice to me, aren't you?

-I try.

I think you feel sorry for me because of where I've been

-to get this, don't you?

-Yeah, yeah, precisely.

Well, keep it nice and simple. For £200

-I don't want you spending too much time on it.

-But it will look good.

Lovely. Thank you. Give us a shout.

Thanks very much, and I'll see you soon.

-You WILL see me soon!

-OK, see you later.

-Take care!

I love what Norman does - he's got safe hands, and he's old school,

and he's going to turn those battered old doors

into something saleable. You can't beat that.

I think it's going to be a nice challenge.

It's an OK piece, so Sarah's got it right for once. Fantastic.

For the princely sum of £200,

Norman is going to turn a couple of wooden doors

and assorted bits and bobs into a wonderful one-off kitchen cupboard,

using...chicken wire.

I can't wait to see it.

In Essex, Sarah's on her way to see how Guy has fared

with the battered petrol can.

I think Sarah's going to like this a lot.

You know, she's a recycler, like myself,

and seeing it brought back into another life...

I think it'll tick her box. Let's hope so.

Sarah left Guy with an old, unusable petrol can.

The metal was rusted and it had holes -

but, for some reason, Guy was over the moon with it...

..and now I can see why.

The once useless can has become a quirky, fully-functional table lamp.

Guy's lost none of the character, and has instead brought out

its features to the full, by treating the metalwork.

The simple shade complements it perfectly,

all in all, making it a shadow of its former self.

-Hi, there!

-Hi, Sarah. Lovely to see you again.

-Lovely to see you.

Yeah, good to see you.

-That's worked really well, hasn't it?

-Hasn't it? Yes, hasn't it?

Fantastic.

Now, it was a good, strong starting piece, wasn't it?

But that, the scale of that is really good, isn't it?

I think it really does work well.

It's just lovely to preserve something

which is a bit of our history.

It says petrol can on the tin, and it really is,

but we've saved it from the dump.

They're not going to be making these again, so I'm pleased you like it.

I know you said you were going to dig us out a £10 shade,

but I think I left you with 125 for the can.

Anywhere near that?

Yes, we're going to do it for 135. You're in budget.

In budget and in luck, because it's looking great.

-The combination - I like the black with the red.

-Yes.

-It's got a great look.

-Thank you.

You want to pick it up, carry it away

-and put it on your desk, don't you? I think it's lovely.

-Yeah.

So, why don't you do just that, Sarah?

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you, Sarah.

-I'm glad you're pleased with it.

-I am pleased with it.

Let me... I'm going to take it away right now.

And hopefully find a buyer desperate to put it on their desk.

That is a very successful project...in the can.

I think Sarah felt very happy about that.

It was something which was pretty ropey,

but I knew that it was going to be good

when we got our hands on it and cleaned it up

and electrified it - and I think she's going to sell that well.

From its early days in the tip at the back of John's van...

Well, it used to be my father-in-law's,

-but he's no longer with us, so...

-Oh, it is charming!

To me, it was just a bit of scrap metal,

so anything she can make is good, really.

..Guy transformed it...

..and it also caught the attention of Nick,

who wanted it for his online shop.

Very nice. I think someone would want this for their man cave.

Sarah has travelled to just outside Bredbury to meet up with John

and show him what became of his father-in-law's rusty old can.

-Hi, there.

-Hiya!

-How are you doing?

-Not bad, how are you?

-Yeah, very well, thank you.

-Good.

So, I was trying to remember what you were doing at the tip,

-because not all the stuff going there was yours, was it?

-Not all of it. No.

We're downsizing and moving to a new house,

we had to get rid of some of the stuff, and we had some of my

late father-in-law's stuff as well, so unfortunately, needs must, it had to go.

-OK. So, it was the red petrol can that really caught my eye.

-Yeah.

Do you know how long he'd had it, or if he'd used it?

It was just something that's always been there.

He had oil in it for his chainsaw,

and it's just something that's always been there.

It just had to go, unfortunately.

Had you had any thoughts of what we might have done with it?

No, not really. It's a petrol can, but...

You said you could do something, so we'll see.

I took it to Essex to a guy called Guy, actually,

who specialises in making lighting out of your kind of petrol can.

-And I've got pictures to show you of what he did with it.

-Right.

-So here is your petrol can.

-Oh, wow!

-Do you recognise it?

Sort of, but I didn't expect you to do that with it.

-It does look pretty rustic still.

-Yeah.

-But it's been transformed into a lovely light.

-That looks lovely.

Do you think your father-in-law would have approved?

I think he would have done, yeah. That's amazing.

It is something that has sold.

I have got £20 profit there to give to you.

Thank you. Thanks very much.

I didn't expect any profit.

You might get enough to put a bit of petrol in your car or something.

My son's getting married in two weeks, so that'll go...

I'm sure that'll go some way to him.

Maybe you can have a round on us, and just to say, thank you so much.

-You're welcome.

-And enjoy the wedding.

-I'll try.

-That was lovely. Thanks for letting us have that...

-You're welcome.

-..and for your time today.

-All right, then.

-It was great to catch up. Bye!

-Thank you, bye now!

The petrol can cost £135 to have converted into lighting.

Sarah sold the finished light for 155,

and that left John with a profit of £20.

Well, that old petrol can definitely fuelled Guy's imagination,

and I think John approved of what he did with it.

Sarah's saved items for her artisans,

but now she has to unearth a hidden gem for herself.

Is there a once-prized possession waiting to be cherished again in Amy's boot?

-Hiya, do you need a hand?

-Yes, please.

-They are nice.

-Thank you.

-So, are these coming out of your house?

-Not mine.

I got them, I was going to make some headboards with them.

-These are the DIY project you haven't done?

-Yeah.

-Is that cos you're busy?

-Yes, busy.

-Are you expecting something there?

-Yeah.

Amy's expecting a baby, which has put paid to her DIY designs.

How would you go to make them into a headboard? Stand the pair up behind the bed?

Yeah, I was going to sand them down and repaint them

and then put them as headboards at the back of the bed,

but, yeah, with a little one on the way it's not happening.

-The spare room's been taken now.

-It is my lucky day then, is it?

-It is.

I will definitely try and do something.

The headboard idea is really cool.

I will just see if I can wrestle this one out of the way.

The door's wide open here for Sarah to work her magic.

But what does Amy think she should do?

I liked my headboard idea, but I don't know. Anything, really.

Life just got really peachy. I mean, look at those two.

They've got lovely old lines, they are made of solid,

chunky bits of timber, and the colours on them are bang on.

-SHE KNOCKS ON WOOD

-Hear that?

That is profit knocking.

Well, I suppose you'd better answer it.

Sarah's back with her lovable big pup Bramble at her home in Sussex.

And she's about to get cracking on those doors Amy was about to chuck.

I've had a good look at the condition of them,

and they are really rough and ready,

so to re-position those two inside the house, it's going to be a lot of work.

So I thought I'd go for something really useful to go in the garden.

I'm thinking about making a potting bench.

Gardeners use potting benches as a worktable in their sheds

and greenhouses for potting seedlings and plants.

But where to start?

I have never done anything like this before, and in order to

make it stable, I'm going to have to use some real carpentry skills.

But it's all right, because I've got a saw.

The secret of a good sawing motion is to angle the blade

at 65 degrees from the wood.

Use one hand to hold the saw while the other supports the wood,

and use long, smooth strokes.

And don't bear down, let the saw to the work.

Basically, all the things Sarah isn't doing.

It's quite straight.

What she may lack in technique, she makes up for with enthusiasm.

Right, so, that is going to be the back panel of the table,

and this is going to be...

..the work surface.

Sarah's combining her wooden work surface with a metal tray.

But first she has to cut a hole for it into which the tray will fit seamlessly.

Easy peasy.

Maybe get some power tools out to help me with this one.

So, put that aside for a sec.

There's an age-old rule of carpentry - measure twice, cut once.

Right, let's hope this fits and doesn't fall through.

Or you can do what Sarah's done -

sketch a rough outline and hope for the best.

Perfect!

She's turned up trumps again. I'm so happy for her.

Great, so, that's nice and snug in there, and this is where the plants go.

Now we need to turn that into the base of it.

Are you all ready for another top tip? Here we go.

When using a power screwdriver,

make sure to use the correct size of screw bit for the screw,

and don't apply too much torque as it will strip the screw head.

Yet again, not exactly what Sarah's doing.

Well, that bit works really well. Got to do something about the rest of it.

Try to pack some style into this.

And Sarah's idea to pack in the style?

Some corrugated iron and a bit of old fence. Oh, dear.

So far, Sarah's only forked out £16, but right now her potting bench

is less shabby chic, more just plain shabby.

Over in East Sussex, Norman has made a start on his kitchen cabinet.

He's already built a base from parts of the old cupboards

Sarah dropped off, and some new timber.

Next he turns his attention to the door panels,

which will be replaced with...

chicken wire.

Yeah, you heard me right. Chicken wire.

Chicken wire is a fashion, and people love it...

Do they?

..and, you know, we use it on cupboards and things.

So, until the cupboard is put together, and we finish it,

then you'll really get the effect of what it actually looks like.

If you say so, Norman.

First, Norman puts on his chicken beak,

then uses an electric router

to remove the middle panels of the doors.

Perfect.

You know, perhaps a chicken wire door will look great,

and I'll be left with egg on my face.

Once you get welding with it, it's fine.

It's just a bit finickity.

I'm getting there.

Credit where credit's due, Norman,

your cupboard door is starting to look pretty good.

That's really nice and tight now.

You know, if it was laying on the floor,

the chicken could actually use it as a trampoline.

But you can't, cos we're going to use it as a cupboard. Happy days.

What is he on about?

Next, Norman cut lengths of wood that will make up the back panel

of the cabinet base.

T and G. We call it T and G cos it is tongue and groove, cos

it's got a tongue on that bit, and it's got a groove down in there.

So when we put it together it all slots...

All slots nicely together.

Norman applies PVA glue to the base, staples the wood in place,

and repeats.

Do a bit of icing.

I should have been in cakes.

That's almost like icing, isn't it? It's like a work of art.

Yeah, I wouldn't quit your day job, big man.

After a lot of hammering and a lot more stapling, it's taking shape.

Yeah, really pleased. We've... We've cracked the back of it.

You know, the woodwork side of it.

We've still got quite a bit of work to do on the finishing side.

I mean, we quoted £200, but obviously the more you look at it,

I'm thinking it's going to be a tight, tight budget.

Don't say that. We can't blow the budget on this one.

I'm already dubious about who will pay over £200 to have

some chicken wire in their kitchen.

Back home at Sarah's,

she's putting the finishing touches to her potting bench.

Well, she is struggling with the corrugated iron she hoped

would add rustic charm.

Looks more rusty than rustic to me.

Perhaps her daughter Libby might lend a hand.

-Hi.

-Hi.

Do you like it?

Mm. Clean.

I'm going to tidy it up before I use it.

-Do you think it's going to add to it or not?

-Yeah.

You're lying. You're so lying, I can tell.

Sarah's flattening the iron to use as the surface of a shelf.

Kudos where kudos is due - Sarah has put in the hard graft on this one.

Has transforming these old doors into a potting bench

turned out to be a potty idea?

Well, I'm impressed, and I'm sure Libby will be too.

What Sarah may lack in carpentry skill,

she more than makes up for in gumption and vision.

And the wavy iron is not so wavy any more.

Sarah has brought together the doors, fence, the corrugated iron,

the metal tray and the potato crate into a cohesive whole.

Each individual part is distinct,

but sits in harmony with the others,

and, proportionally, they all fit like a glove.

Her potting bench has a ramshackle homespun charm,

but it's strong and sturdy.

You can make all sorts of things out of these old doors,

but I loved making this potting table.

And I think it's going to be useful for somebody,

and hopefully they will buy it at a fair price.

Amy was chucking out a pair of doors that she had planned to use

to make headboards.

Is that cos you're busy?

-Yeah, busy.

-Expecting something there?

-Yeah.

The imminent arrival of her child had put her upcycling plans on hold.

But what did she think Sarah would make of the doors?

I liked my headboard idea, but I don't know.

Sorry, Amy, the headboard idea didn't make the cut.

The potting bench turned out a treat, and Sarah sold it

to Wreckage At Home,

a shop in Doncaster that specialises in vintage and rustic furniture.

Now Sarah's on her way to show Amy what became of the doors.

But is there to be any profit to hand over?

-Hi.

-Hi, Amy, how are you?

-I'm good, how are you?

-Yeah, very well.

-I see the expansion project is coming on.

-Yes, nearly there.

Now, you were dropping off old doors.

I think you'd been inspired,

you were going to make something out of them, weren't you?

Yeah, I was going to make a headboard,

but having another little one,

so the spare room has gone out of the window.

As I'm sort of a DIY-er, I thought I'd better do something that I knew

would be really robust and saleable,

-so I've made something for the garden.

-Oh, right.

THEY LAUGH

I hope you approve, as somebody who likes to take on a project,

-so I've got some pictures here.

-Yeah.

I hope you approve of what we've been up to,

-but here are your doors.

-Oh, how lovely.

They have been transformed into a potting bench.

Oh, they're lovely. I'll have them back now!

THEY LAUGH

So, what do you think?

I couldn't have imagined you'd do something like that,

so I just thought, headboard and that's all.

Yes, they're really nice.

Great news that they have been sold and I've got

a little bit of profit to hand over to you.

-AMY LAUGHS

-I've got, hold on one second...

-I've got £4 there...

-Thank you.

..and, um...

-and another 95 to go with it there.

-Oh, thank you very much.

-So, there's £99...

-Oh, fantastic.

-..for your old doors.

-I didn't expect that, thank you very much.

Is that a surprise?

Definitely. That's really good, thank you very much.

It's a pleasure, they were good fun to work on. So, um,

new baby coming along, lots of things that you need -

-will that go towards that?

-That's definitely going towards the new baby, yes.

-Very good luck with the expansion of the family.

-Thank you very much.

I hope that finds a useful place...

-It definitely will, thank you very much.

-Brilliant.

-Really nice to see you again, Amy.

-Thank you, thank you very much, bye.

Well, with a new baby on the way, that £99 will definitely

come in handy, and the doors didn't end up as a headboard.

I don't think Amy minded the fact

they've become a potting shed companion.

Sarah spent £11 on the metal tray and potato crate

from an online auction site and a fiver on some paint.

She sold the potting bench for £115,

earning the tidy sum of £99 for Amy.

Sarah's back in East Sussex to see what Norman's

managed to cobble together out of that broken cupboard.

Well, I left Norman with the merest remnants

of a cupboard in the hope that he'll be able to transform it

into something fabulous that I can sell at a profit.

I cannot wait to see what he's managed to do with it.

Sarah had gathered a pile of broken wood

that was apparently once a cupboard.

Norman has miraculously pieced it all together

to create a gorgeous kitchen cabinet.

He's taken great care to keep just the right amount of wear

so it's brimming with cottage charm.

Those original hooks have been incorporated,

which will be perfect for crockery.

And that chicken wire frontage is adorably rustic,

without overegging the farmyard and ambience.

It's a perfect rural accent for any bohemian kitchen.

I'm impressed.

But what about the boss?

-Norman?

-Hiya.

-Hello, how are you doing?

-How are you? Yeah, I'm great. You?

Yeah! I'm good now.

-Look at that.

-That's great, isn't it?

It looks amazing.

I can't believe that's...

what's come out of that pile of timber,

offcuts and stuff I left you. It's amazing.

-Yeah, looks great, doesn't it?

-I think it looks lovely.

You've left just the right amount of old beaten-up detail on it

and made it fresh enough to go straight into a kitchen. I love it.

Yeah, we kept the hooks, we've done the hooks under here,

so you can have your cups.

Yeah, so we've obviously used the...

all the old timber that we could, the sides...the hooks,

but then we had to have new shelves at the back

and then that's what we came up with.

It's great, it's...

I think it's lovely.

Excellent.

Once on a wall, filled up with...

chickens...

THEY LAUGH

..it'll look great.

I think we can find something better than that to put in it.

Well, Norman's feeling like cock of the roost now,

but did he come in on budget?

I left you with 200 quid on the table for it.

-Is that what you came at?

-Uh-oh.

-Well, actually, um...

-Here it comes.

-We actually...

300?

400?

..we didn't actually quite do as much,

many hours on it as we thought,

so we're actually going to let you have it for 175.

Under budget!

Cock-a-doodle-doo.

I loved it anyway, and now I really like it.

That is really good.

I think 175 quid,

-they have to be able to make some profit on that.

-Yeah.

I think that's going to be an easy job to sell, but I might need

to borrow that chicken for some sale shots.

I'm sure Peggy won't mind. She's a good egg.

-Thank you so much for that.

-Thank you as well.

-That's lovely. Thank you.

-Good luck.

Well, I am cock-a-hoop over that transformation.

Norman has made something really beautiful with those old scraps.

And that's quite difficult to do.

It was busy, busy, busy at the dump.

But Sarah still spied Luke

about to throw his rubbish into the skip...

-You've had a smashing time this morning, then?

-Yeah.

It may have looked beyond all hope,

but even Luke could see the potential.

It's solid wood.

So, you could make anything out of them, really.

It depends how much skill her team has got.

Don't you worry, Luke. They've got plenty.

Sarah got in touch with vintage and retro store

The Old Cinema in London, who love that kind of thing,

and they bought it.

Sarah's set her satnav to Little Bollington,

outside Altrincham, to bring Luke up-to-date on his old bits of wood.

-Hi, there. How are you doing?

-Good.

-Good to see you again.

-Yes, and you.

So, this is it, then. You'd just moved in last time I saw you,

-is that right?

-Yeah, absolutely.

-How's it going?

-It's going well, it's going slowly,

but it's going well, yeah.

Those bits of wood that I took from you,

they had a bit of character left in them.

So, did you think

that there was something that could be made out of them?

I've thought about it, but I have got absolutely no idea how you can

make anything out of them, so I'll be interested to see what you've done.

-So, I've got some pictures to show you. Are you ready?

-Yeah.

Kitchen cupboard.

-Wow.

-I don't know if you can see here,

-but all those little pegs that were inside...

-Oh, yes.

..the cupboard have been reused to hang cups on or hooks for the kitchen.

That's well cool.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, Yeah. Wow.

-Is that a surprise?

It's a big surprise, yeah, yeah. It's creative.

It was snapped up by a shop in London and that is going to go into

somebody's house somewhere and be on their kitchen wall, you know,

being loved by them and good news, I made some profit on it.

I've brought that for you and I have £100 here for your old doors.

Amazing!

What are you going to do with the £100?

Probably helping pay for plastering and that sort of stuff.

Nothing very exciting or interesting,

trying to get the house looking really good.

Good luck with the plastering. I know it's hard work.

-Thank you so much, lovely to catch up. Bye-bye.

-All right. Bye.

That was great, because I think Luke was genuinely impressed

with what Norman did with his old bits of wood and that money

sounds like it's going to come in very handy,

because it takes a lot of cash when you're renovating a house.

With Norman coming in under budget at £175, after Sarah sold it

for 275, it leaves £100 for Luke to do up his kitchen.

Thank you, Norman.

All four of Sarah's salvaged items have produced a profit.

The old pink chair was transformed into a sheepskin masterpiece.

The old petrol can is now lovely lighting.

The doors have changed into a glorious garden gadget.

And Norman's chicken wire cabinet proved to be a huge success.

Well, we've handed over a little bit of money along the way,

but what's really special is just seeing what people can make

from things that were going to the tip.

Fantastic.